Connecticut labor negotiations reach a critical point as layoff notices go out to state workers

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HARTFORD >> Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has tried mightily not to negotiate with Connecticut’s labor unions through the news media.

On Friday after a state Bond Commission meeting, he declined to characterize the negotiations, which sources say have been difficult but are beginning to yield results.

As part of his budget proposal, Malloy has asked the unions for $700 million in concessions in 2018 and $856 million in 2019.

“It ain’t over till it’s over,” Malloy said Friday.

The last time Malloy negotiated a deal with the unions was back in 2011 and not everything went as planned, giving both Malloy and the unions reasons to be cautious about their public statements.

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Even if Malloy and the unions agree to concessions, the union leadership will still have to vote on whether to open up the health and pension portion of the contract that doesn’t expire until 2022, and if they succeed in doing that then the rank-and-file union members will have to vote on whether to accept whatever concessions are part of that deal.